


Cancelled due to Snow

by BarPurple



Series: Frederick St Offices [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Couch Cuddles, F/M, Fluff, Snowed In
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 13:22:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12960123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: Belle has to spend the night in the office due to heavy snow. Luckily she's not the only one.





	Cancelled due to Snow

Belle peeled her gloves off and fumbled in her pocket for the keys to the office building. Chuck had sent everyone home two hours ago because of the worsening snow. Belle had made it to the station only for the trains to be delayed and then cancelled, buses to her side of the city had stopped hours before that, and there wasn’t a taxi to be found anywhere. She’d been faced with the choice of emptying her meagre savings account to stay in a hotel, or trudging back to the office. She was glad that she’d been made a key-holder now, although when Chuck ‘promoted’ her to the position she’d been annoyed because it meant she was left locking up more often than not. Spending the night at work wasn’t ideal, but it was either that or freeze while trying to find a taxi that would take her home.

She got the door open and staggered inside. It wasn’t much warmer in here, but she was out of the wind, so it felt like heaven. She was so busy stomping the snow from her boots that she didn’t hear the garage door open.

“Belle?”

She shrieked at the sound of the voice, and sagged in relief when she found Aiden clutching a thick tartan blanket, standing by the garage door. He lifted the blanket sheepishly and gave her a crooked grin.

“Sorry, I was just getting this from the car. What are you doing back here?”

It took her two attempts to get her teeth to stop chattering long enough to say, “Trains cancelled.”

Aiden hadn’t waited for her juddering answer before he’d started toward her and offered her his hand.

“Come on let’s get you up to my office I’ve got a heater and some soup.”

By the time they had reached their floor her teeth had stopped chattering a bit.

“How come you’re still here?”

He gave a nervous chuckle, “I might have left my car lights on this morning. The battery is flat, so I’m stuck.”

Belle nudged him with her shoulder; “You’ve not called Neal, have you?”

Aiden’s son was protective of him, which Aiden described fondly as nagging. The main point of said nagging was Aiden’s classic Jaguar, a beautiful car, but not the most reliable. He shook his head; “No, I’ve not. He’d only try to get here to give me a jump, in between lecturing me about how I need a new car.”

They made it into Aiden’s office now, and he waved a dramatic arm at the room.

“And besides, I’m set up very well for a snowy evening.”

Belle couldn’t argue with that; Aiden had a Dyson Hot+Cool fan, which had got the room nicely toasty, and his laptop was set up on the coffee table. He tossed the blanket on the sofa; “Get out of those wet things and I’ll warm us up some soup. It’s leak and potato, that okay?”

“That would be great, thank you.”

He headed off to the little kitchen their companies shared, and Belle peeled off her sodden coat, and draped it over the back of a chair. Thank God it had been casual Friday today, she was in jeans and a thick jumper instead of business attire, and sturdy boots that had kept her feet dry. She sat down on rubbed her hands together, she was really going to have to invent in some better gloves. The warmth seeped into her and she finally stopped shivering.

“Here we’re. Sorry about the mugs, we apparently have no bowls in the kitchen.”

“Oh, thank you,” – Belle took the mug of soup from him, - “I think we’ve only got paper plates, it’s our turn to restock.”

Aiden sat down next to her and blew on his soup, “It silly to keep ordering disposable things, I’ll talk to Chuck again about investing in some proper crockery.”

Belle huffed a wry laugh; “Yeah, good luck with that, I still can’t get him to replace those loose carpet tiles.”

Chuck did not like spending money on things that wouldn’t turn him an immediate profit, and Belle’s patient arguments about health and safety had been taken ‘under advisement’. Aiden grumbled under his breath; “I’ll talk to him about that as well,” – Belle gulped her mouthful of soup down, her eyes wide with worry, - “I’ll not mention you at all, Belle, but the tenancy contract is very clear about upkeep and he’s letting too much slide.”

Belle had to smile at that; “Well, you would know.”

An old Gold family friend own the building on Frederick Street that housed their companies, Aiden had explained proudly that the tenancy agreements were the first contract Neal had drawn up solo when he came to work with his father. Over the course of their lunches Belle had picked up that there was some difficult history between Aiden and his son, but the love they had for each other was clear.

“Any interesting customers today?”

Belle gave a dramatic shudder; “I had a lady shout at me for ten minutes because the Spanx she ordered were a con.”

Aiden frowned slightly; “Spanx, they the suck everything in knickers, aren’t they?”

“Them’s the ones, super stretchy, but they arrive looking ridiculously small, and that’s what she had a problem with, said we’d sent her doll’s clothes and were trying to con her out of her money. It was not a fun conversation.”

He laughed, “They don’t sound easy to put on.”

“They’re not, think modern day corset, but without the laces.”

“Ah, I understand, I take it they don’t come packaged with a maid to assist with getting them on?”

“Oh hell no.”

They ate in comfortable silence for a few moments before she asked; “Anything new in the Gaston Saga?”

Now it was Aiden’s turn to groan; “I swear that lad was behind the door when common sense was handed out. He pouted for an hour today because I had him correct a file. He’d spelt the client’s name incorrectly, but was adamant that his way was the right one.”

Belle laughed, “So that’s what the ‘he’s had it since birth dinne ye no think it’s the way he says it it?’ was about. Katie and Penny had some colourful speculations.”

Aiden knew his voice carried between their offices when he shouted, he did try to keep it to a reasonable level, but Gaston would try the patience of a saint.

“It wouldn’t be so bad, but he is incapable of admitting a mistake, he’s still trying to blame Ariel for the prawn sandwich screw-up. We’ll have to see if he improves over the next month,” – he shook thoughts of his tiresome intern away and nodded at his laptop, - “I was going to put a movie on, any preferences?”

“Nothing with snow.”

He snapped his fingers and sighed with a wide grin on his face, “Ah well there goes my plan to watch Frozen.”

They settled on Hot Fuzz, because Belle couldn’t believe Aiden had never seen it. About halfway through laughing themselves silly at the film, Aiden pulled the blanket over them. He tried to be a gentleman and give Belle the lion’s share of the thick wool, but she shifted closer to his side, so they could share better.

“Is this alright.”

“Yeah, it’s good.”

Not five minutes later Aiden sighed and said; “Would you mind if I put my arm along the back of the sofa? I don’t want you to think I’m trying the old yawn and stretch, I just want to want to get comfortable.”

Belle didn’t take her eyes off the screen as she picked his hand up and scooted into his side, so she could drape his arm around her shoulder.

“How’s that?”

“Fine,” – he cleared his throat, - “Neal would have a fit of ‘I told you so’ if he saw us like this. He reckons you’ve been flirting with me.”

Belle bit her bottom lip, she’d be a fool to let opening like this slide by.

“I have been flirting with you Aiden.”

She felt him tense beside her, this wasn’t quite how she thought this would go. She eased away from him, so she could look at his face, which was currently wearing a look of stunned disbelief.

“Why?”

“Why do people normally flirt, Aiden?”

A brief look of confusion flickered over his face; “In my experience because they want something.”

Belle tilted her head to one side and looked him in the eye; “I’m flirting with you because I’m attracted to you, so I suppose in a sense I do want something, but if you don’t want the same thing then I’ll stop flirting, and we can be friends.”

The hesitant look on his face made Belle wonder if she’d just screwed up their developing friendship. If she had he wouldn’t want her near him tonight, she go and sleep in her own office rather than force her company on him. Although anxious butterflies were squirming in her stomach, she waited, this was a big step and she wasn’t going to rush him by assuming his rejection.

His eyes softened, and he slowly moved his hand to cup her face. She nuzzled into his touch and he sighed her name.

“Oh Belle.”

They leaned into each other and giggled as they both moved the same way and bumped noses. Aiden turned the accidental contact into an Eskimo kiss. Slowly they slid closer until their lips brushed. A shiver of delight raced down Belle’s spine and Aiden gave a soft moan. Hands tangled in hair, and with lips and tongues they explored each other’s mouths.

Belle pulled back a bit and drew in a deep breath; “We should slow down before we get carry away.”

Aiden nodded; “Good idea.”

For all their good intentions they kept kissing. In between tender butterfly kisses Aiden asked; “Do you have plans for tomorrow?”

Belle eased back and shook her head; “Well apart from getting home and getting a change of clothes.”

“Would you like to have lunch with me?”

“I’d love to.”

Neal blew on his hands as her got out of his car, and rolled his eyes at his Dad’s Jaguar. Trust him to come into work on a day like this. Neal was only here to pick up his gloves before he went to meet Emma in town. He ran up the stairs ready to give his Dad a bit a grief for driving on icy roads in that ancient car.

“Hey Pops! I’m just here for my gloves!”

He grabbed them from his desk and bounced into his Dad’s office, only to skid to a halt and whoop at the sight on the sofa. Pops was snuggled up on the sofa with his arms full of Belle.

Pops gave him a sheepish look and Belle gave him a little wave. Neal grinned; “And here I thought I’d find you slaving over a damn file, Pops. Morning Belle. Hang on have you guys been here all night?”

“Car battery’s flat.”

“Trains were cancelled.”

That was apparently all the explanation he was going to get, and he was feeling increasingly like a gooseberry. He pulled his car keys out of his pocket and dropped them on the coffee table; “Here Pops take my car, I’m meeting Emma today, so you two, y’know have fun.”

“Thanks son, say hi to Emma for me. Bye.”

Neal took the hint and turned on his heal to leave, but he couldn’t resist popping his head back around the door and saying; “I told you so, Pops.”

“Bugger off, Son!”

Neal chuckled to himself all the way down the stairs. He couldn’t wait to tell Emma about this.


End file.
